The Oilers skate into Detroit hoping to match the effort they played with last Thursday in Dallas. Over the last 18 years the Stars owned the Oilers, but the Oilers dominated them last week, and tonight they face a Wings team they've only beaten 24 times in their last 73 meetings.

Can they slay the dragon for the second Thursday in a row?

It will be a daunting task, but few people expected the Oilers to get a point in Chicago and two in Dallas, and that's exactly why we will all be watching tonight.

LINE UP

The top lines stay the same, while Chris Vande Velde draws in and Ben Eager takes a seat in the press box. Krueger stated this morning the need to get all four lines going, but realistically I think he'd settle for getting two going.

If you are wondering why Eager is out, and why the Oilers acquired Brown, take a look at these sobering numbers that Micheal Parkatti graciously sent me when I asked for them. Parkatti does a recap of every game at boysonthebus.com

Name

While on ice

Game 1

Game 11

12

13

G14

G 15

G 16

G 17

G18

G 19

G 20

G 21

G 22

Totals

Eager

Shots Attempts For

6

6

2

1

13

9

9

14

4

7

5

1

9

86

Eager

Shots Attempts Against

14

11

5

12

12

13

11

12

12

15

23

13

11

164

Eager

Net Shot Attempts

-8

-5

-3

-11

1

-4

-2

2

-8

-8

-18

-12

-2

-78

Team

Net Shot Attempts

0

-16

-19

-4

25

-31

-3

2

-37

-17

-19

-8

-7

-134

The percent of net differential while Eager is on the ice is a mind-blowing 58%.

For non-believers of Corsi, that is incredibly high considering how little time he spends on the ice. Keep in mind that includes all shots attempts; shots on goal, blocked shots and shots that missed the net.

Someone might look at Eager's +/- and suggest he's only -4, but that is in 13 games with only 9:36 of TOI/game. Either way you slice it, it is brutal. And it explains why the Oilers added Brown. Brown isn't perfect either, but he hasn't been a defensive liability along the lines of Eager, and his reputation suggests he's more consistent in his physical play.

I want to be clear that Eager isn't the reason the Oilers are losing, but obviously he isn't pulling his weight. Krueger will be looking for more consistency out of his 4th line and hopefully some production. Jones has proven in the past he can score in limited minutes, so we'll see if he can produce on the 4th line.

Realistically if the Oilers are going to win tonight, their top two lines need to be good, and their PP needs to awaken from its recent slumber. They are 3 for 25 in their last 7 games, and in the three games where they scored a PP goal they won twice and lost in OT.

The Oilers lack of finish with the man advantage in Columbus cost them a point. If they score on that 4-on-3, they win and Eberle had two glorious chances. We all saw his reaction after he couldn't lift the puck over Bobrovsky's pads, but that is a shot Eberle has to make. Ideally you don't want all the pressure to win on the shoulders of your young players, but that's how it is in Edmonton and I guarantee you Eberle is livid he didn't score in OT.

Smid-Petry
N.Schultz-J.Schultz
Whitney-Potter

Petry has three goals and five points in the first five games of the road trip. He's had some luck by just putting pucks on net, and you wonder if his teammates follow suit. Whitney has two goals in the last three games and he's been much more involved offensively. The good news for the Oilers is that they are finally getting some production from their blueline.

Dubnyk

He is 2-0-1 with a 2.47 GAA and 0.931 SV% vs. Detroit. Yes, it is a small sample size, but he's got 5 of 6 points in his career v. Detroit. In fact, all three games have gone to OT. He's 1-1 in OT and 1-0 in the SO. His only start in Detroit he stopped 42 of 44 shots on March 11th, 2011.

QUICK HITS

Watched the entire Chicago/Colorado game last night. The Hawks are entertaining to watch regardless of who they play. They push the pace the entire game. They never sit back, and Toews has to be amongst top-five centres, if not higher, in the game. Very complete player.

If Patrick Sharp is out for any extended period of time, that would be a huge blow for them. He left midway through the 3rd favouring his shoulder. He'll miss some games, just not sure how many according to Quenneville.

If the Oilers continue their trend of turning the puck over at the offensive blueline, the Wings will dominate territorially and on shot attempts. Datsyuk is the best in the league at creating turnovers so the Oilers need to be smart with the puck.

Might only interest me, but in the limited games he's played Chris Vande Velde has faced the 5th toughest competition amongst Oiler forwards. And really it is 4th because he didn't play when Horcoff was in the lineup.

JUST BECAUSE

GAME DAY PREDICTION: Just when you think the Oilers are done, they surprise you with an effort like tonight. 3-2 win.

OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: Datsyuk will have you sitting in awe at least once with one of his "sick" dangles.

NOT-SO-OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: The Tootoo Train and Moustache Mayhem will collide at centre ice for one of the best hits of the season. The great part is that neither one will have had the puck, and neither fanbase will know who initiated the contact.

One of Canada's most versatile sports personalities. Jason hosts The Jason Gregor Show, weekdays from 2 to 6 p.m., on TSN 1260, and he writes a column every Monday in the Edmonton Journal. You can follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/JasonGregor

Not blaming Dubnyk for the loss as that would be silly seeing that we didn't score, but letting in that first goal really deflated the team. They were playing well up until then I thought and that brutal goal seemed to take the wind out of their sails. It's obviously more than goal tending, but he's let in way too many weak goals this year to convince me he's an NHL starter. We keep saying to play him to see what we've got. Well so far, it's not a starting NHL goalie in my mind.

That's Dubnyks calling card! One softy a game, unfortunately the Oilers are no longer in the 80's despite what some in management believe, can't score 5x5, so one softy a game is a killer.

I saw Oiler players banging into each other all over the ice. I saw players trip on the hash marks and blue line half dozen times.

Did anyone see in the 2nd Period on SN on the camera shot down the bench. The looks on their faces when it was 2-0 where Gagner had this crazy wide-eyed stare on his face and was just seething on the bench. That says it all - it was brutal to watch that.

Does ownership care what the fans think? I'm seriously asking this. Are they in an echo chamber or do they know how pissed fans are? I know this is a rebuild. I know this is a young team. I knew they were going to lose more than they would win this year. I also thought I knew that management was committed to icing a competitive team that would be entertaining and would contend. Not true.
Is there anything fans can do to make ownership/management give a crap?
If Katz is happy owning the Islanders North they might as well just pack it up and head to Seattle. Sigh.

Does ownership care what the fans think? I'm seriously asking this. Are they in an echo chamber or do they know how pissed fans are? I know this is a rebuild. I know this is a young team. I knew they were going to lose more than they would win this year. I also thought I knew that management was committed to icing a competitive team that would be entertaining and would contend. Not true.
Is there anything fans can do to make ownership/management give a crap?
If Katz is happy owning the Islanders North they might as well just pack it up and head to Seattle. Sigh.

The only thing that will have an impact is if season ticket holders don't renew.

Sure it will. It's just that the waiting list for those seats is long enough that they'll be replaced instantly. When that list becomes non-existent AND fans don't renew? Yeah, that's when the crap hits the fan.

Not blaming Dubnyk for the loss as that would be silly seeing that we didn't score, but letting in that first goal really deflated the team. They were playing well up until then I thought and that brutal goal seemed to take the wind out of their sails. It's obviously more than goal tending, but he's let in way too many weak goals this year to convince me he's an NHL starter. We keep saying to play him to see what we've got. Well so far, it's not a starting NHL goalie in my mind.

I agree with u Chaz. I have never been sold on Dubey. The media made him sound like he was Dominik Hasek for the first ten games of the season. He is back to letting in weak goals,nearly every game. With a very weak defence and small soft forwards, there is very little room for error in goal.

The Oil are quickly becoming the laughing stock of the show and it is killing me!

Seen them play worse... at least the first period was acceptable. They seem to disappear in the second period in many game. They can do better, as they always make a push late in game when time is running out. Should have had that push earlier in the game.

But still really not playing hard on the puck or the body for that matter, but Wings were not hitting either, which a good thing for the road team on this trip.

At the end, still no scoring and or enough traffic and shots on net. Same old story...
Not sure if Hallis injured , but would hardly know he was in the game.

Its hardly worth repeating the same commentary, but its the same old game and effort.

The guy has stopped 2nd most pucks in the NHL this year. Sure it was soft one but you are supposed to have a high powered offence to bail you out. They can't score 5on5. And worse now they have no hussle or fight that they can't even draw a penalty.

Brutal game tonight, another embarrassing effort. Who are we drafting this year? Seth Jones get ready to join this gong show. Managements fault for putting all the pressure on a 19 year old center because we have no one better. Team looks defeated and scared.

Not blaming Dubnyk for the loss as that would be silly seeing that we didn't score, but letting in that first goal really deflated the team. They were playing well up until then I thought and that brutal goal seemed to take the wind out of their sails. It's obviously more than goal tending, but he's let in way too many weak goals this year to convince me he's an NHL starter. We keep saying to play him to see what we've got. Well so far, it's not a starting NHL goalie in my mind.

I'm not going to say Dubnyk has been spectacular, but he has been pretty good in my opinion. I think the "soft" goals he lets in actually may be due to him pressing and knowing that if he lets in 1 or 2 goals, he know this team can't score most nights. I think these numbers say he has been better than most:

21 goalies have appeared in 15 games or more this season. Dubnyk ranks 5th out of those 21 in terms of save percentage behind a defense that most of us think gives up more quality chances than most teams.

Dubnyk has started in 19 games giving up 3 or less regulation goals in 15 games and 2 or less goals in 11 games. Considering he only has 6 wins, there has clearly been a lack of scoring as he has kept this team in it most nights.

if i was kruger i would lock this team in a room and make them watch the first round play-off match up between Philly and Pittsburgh last year, I remember watching that series and actually being thankful the kids weren't in the playoffs. Passion this club is lacking and it's poison.

if i was kruger i would lock this team in a room and make them watch the first round play-off match up between Philly and Pittsburgh last year, I remember watching that series and actually being thankful the kids weren't in the playoffs. Passion this club is lacking and it's poison.

I thought the same thing - if this Oiler team was in that series they would get crushed.

Dubnyk is far from the problem here. His save percentage is better thank all of Luongo, Schneider, Price, Howard, Rinne, Quick, Brodeur, Ward, Fleury, and on it goes. He's been flat out unbelievable given the fustercluck going on in front of him.

He gave up two goals tonight. C'mon guys. How about the fact that this team is on track to have the worst 5v5 goals/game since expansion in 1979?

If they were even league average 5v5, they'd have ~ 13 more goals. Since they're 4-2-5 in one goal games, you can do the math on what 13 more goals might mean to their position.

Let's lay the blame where it belongs - since Lowe has taken the reigns, the team has made the playoffs 3 times in 13 years. Including 0 times in 4 years since his hand-picked GM came aboard.

Since Katz bought the team, it's gone 130-177-44. Hopefully, in our lifetime, he'll realize that his bud Lowe and Co aren't the answer.

Oilers could roll out a cap floor team, not be competitive, finish last and still make Katz lots of $$$. If Katz is as smart as his bankroll indicates, the fact that his payroll is 11 mil above the floor shows that the oil are trying to compete. The management is just horribly inept. Someone has to contact Katz in his palatial Vancouver estate and inform him just how far his investment is off the rails. Clearly he has no idea, as he only attends oil games in Van.

Also, what are the chances that ZERO oilers are asked to join their respective country's national team for the World Championship in Finland? Based on the team's absolutely gutless performance this year chances are good. Maybe Hall, Nuge and the boys can go back to OKC for the Baron's playoff run. No, coach Nelson wants to win.

Why so angry after the loss? We were expected to lose. We were expected to get outplayed. We lost, and got outplayed....by a better team.

Had Detorit lost to us, their fans should be furious, not the other way around.

All the different line combos, or various strategy changes are so irrelevant with the level of talent that we have. If we want to be a better team, we need better talent.

This will come through addition by subtraction, trades, UFAs, and most importantly, time. Look at how it took LA to compete after many early picks, and even when then won the cup, they were only 8th place in conference.

If anyone believed a rebuild would take 3 years, they were kidding themselves.

Why so angry after the loss? We were expected to lose. We were expected to get outplayed. We lost, and got outplayed....by a better team.

Had Detorit lost to us, their fans should be furious, not the other way around.

All the different line combos, or various strategy changes are so irrelevant with the level of talent that we have. If we want to be a better team, we need better talent.

This will come through addition by subtraction, trades, UFAs, and most importantly, time. Look at how it took LA to compete after many early picks, and even when then won the cup, they were only 8th place in conference.

If anyone believed a rebuild would take 3 years, they were kidding themselves.

30,30,29 and now another lottery pick. This isn't a rebuild its a social experiment on us fans. Your allowed to get upset over this, you should be upset.

This team has more than enough talent to win hockey games. They have some holes, pretty much the same holes they have had for four or five years now. But I watched the expansion teams win at a more consistent level and they basically made teams up out of fourth line players. The teams that did well during expansion years had a good coach that had his boys working hard EVERYNIGHT, and doing the little thing consistently, getting pucks in deep when there is no room to skate it, shooting pucks on net when someone is going to the net, going to the net creating traffic, winning the battles. Same old stuff that you hear over and over because that is what wins games.

What the team lacks is inspiration, fire, work ethic. I see an example of one player changing his game this year and becoming very effective and that is Magnus Paajarvi. He was the worst one on the team last year for being a perimeter guy. Now he is one of the few I can look at and say that is how this team needs to play. I don't think he has quite the size yet to be dominating down low and in front of the net to be the guy that carries his line but he is coming. We need to have one player on every line that plays this style effectively, and we need every line working hard and going to the net. I predict Paajarvi to break out and score another 10 goals this year.

Center depth still hurts after five years when they traded Stoll, Reasoner, and Brodziak they went from having great depth at center to a glaring weakness had they kept Brodziak who they traded for a 4th that year. The depth would have been manageable at center right now.

Top Pair D man or at least a top 4 dman.(Sheldon Souray had him already gave him away and are still paying part of his wage)

Size that can play on the top two lines(realistically if they got even one good powerforward to play on one of the top lines it would make a huge difference) a Bill Guerin. When they traded Penner I did not understand how they could trade their only guy who plays the powerforward role and scores goals. This guy won every battle on the wall in the defensive zone and must have been a delight for his D knowing that if it went up Penner's wall it was as good as out.

I thought our first round pick from last year would be able to fetch either a top notch power forward or a top two d-man but no trade was made. We took a good player but a player who is more of what we have. Oilers traded Cogliano away for no other reason than we had an abundance of smaller sized players, but yet were still drafting them number one over all even.

Funny thing is in Oklahoma the best prospect down there is probably Rajalla, and one of the best forward prospects not in Oklahoma or Edmonton is Omark, again this is more of the same.

In closing there is not a talent issue here there is coaching issue on how these young players need to be professionals and outwork the other team, and on the GM side close the damn holes that have been there for so long they are not glaring but if they were closed this team would be in the playoffs. I do not believe Tambellini is trying to tank the season because if he was he would have sold off last year at the deadline for more young prospects and picks, yet he chose to resign and to keep all the veteran players. Tambelinni just cant make a trade of significance to save his life.

Gagner and Hemsky can fly at the trade deadline. Gagner is overachieving and has a dictionary without the word defence and Hemsky has never been a team-guy. We don't need pirouettes and give-aways. These guys would prosper on other teams and could hopefully add either some size to the front or some intelligence to the back.

Skilled guys like Hodgson and Vanek thrive in a lineup where Ott exists.

It could be worse. We could have a 40 year old Doug Weight, 40 year old Joseph and have just drafted a 132 pound high school kid. But, even THAT team is looking down on us.

Anybody else think that if we lose the next 3 on the road, Krueger gets fired?
Winning in Nashville is always tough, and we'll never beat the 'Hawks.
I'm thinking the game in Colorado is gonna be the biggest of Krueger's life.

This has been bugging me for a while. Yakupov needs to be put on the second line with Gagner and hall. I He is horrible with Smyth and the fact that he is way too slow. Yakupov speed and skill is being mismanaged. If you ask me the team is beyond deflated and looks horrible five on five.

If this organization had any balls (since we're really talking Timid Tambellini, I doubt it), they'd fire Kreuger right now, bite the bullet and bring in Lindy Ruff. Then as soon as that is done, the Three Stooges should be cut loose, Timid Tambellini, Loser Lowe and Murderer McTavish have between them the brains of a pancake!!
No more rebuilds on the ice...lets rebuild the management team.

Gagner and Hemsky can fly at the trade deadline. Gagner is overachieving and has a dictionary without the word defence and Hemsky has never been a team-guy. We don't need pirouettes and give-aways. These guys would prosper on other teams and could hopefully add either some size to the front or some intelligence to the back.

Skilled guys like Hodgson and Vanek thrive in a lineup where Ott exists.

It could be worse. We could have a 40 year old Doug Weight, 40 year old Joseph and have just drafted a 132 pound high school kid. But, even THAT team is looking down on us.

There are at least 7 people on the team who have been on the ice for more goals against than Sam Gagner, who BTW is only -4 compared to Eberle's -3, Hall's -1 and Nuge's -2. He's right in the mix with all the other young guns. J Schultz is -9 and Yak is at -12. Those two are young and still learning to play at the NHL level, so they have a long way to go. Sam however, is not as big of a defensive liability as some people would like to believe. He is actually one of our best PK people in terms of percentages. I can't remember where I read that, but I'm sure someone like Willis would know how to dig up that stat.

Found the quote: His ability to generate chances short-handed shows up in the underlying numbers and ranks him among the very best in regular penalty-killing forwards in the NHL thus far in 2013. His shots against/60 of 34.3 ranks 36th in the league, but his shots for/60 of 14.4 ranks 8th in the league, meaning his sparkling short-handed Corsi On/60 of -41.48 ranks 5th overall in the league. It's still very, very early in the season and it's likely these numbers will regress, it's interesting to frame those numbers in comparison to recent seasons.
A crawl through the data shows that since the lockout, only Ilya Kovalchuk in 2011-12 and Marian Hossa in 2008-09 have generated more shots and posted a better Corsi over a full season than Gagner has posted so this season. Again, the numbers will likely take a huge step away from current levels, but Gagner's performance on the penalty kill has been eye opening.

Grew up in Edm during the glory years. Hell, even saw Gordie Howe play the WHA Oilers in the Coliseum before we began to expect to win the Cup every spring. Left the province in '98. I understand the hockey hotbed mentality in Edm but..........

I cannot understand how that building remains full every game despite the crappy product being presented. Someone wrote that the exec box suites are not full anymore, that's a start. DO NOT GIVE THESE EXEC/MANAGEMENT FOOLS YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY!

Don't renew season tix (so many of you said you wouldn't during the lockout), eliminate the waiting list, save your money and don't buy walk up tix. Simple, right? I mean the product stinks right, so how much fun are you having going home dejected every night?

How many folks did we hear say they wouldn't support the Oil or NHL with merchandise purchases? Yet there they were in the deep lineups because they fooled you into some discounted (still way overpriced) merch.

So if you really must continue to buy tix and merch and booze at premium prices, at the very least could you start the odd 'LOWE MUST GO' chant. And 'GIVE STEVE THE HEAVE' while your at it.

Why so angry after the loss? We were expected to lose. We were expected to get outplayed. We lost, and got outplayed....by a better team.

Had Detorit lost to us, their fans should be furious, not the other way around.

All the different line combos, or various strategy changes are so irrelevant with the level of talent that we have. If we want to be a better team, we need better talent.

This will come through addition by subtraction, trades, UFAs, and most importantly, time. Look at how it took LA to compete after many early picks, and even when then won the cup, they were only 8th place in conference.

If anyone believed a rebuild would take 3 years, they were kidding themselves.

What rebuild??

Everyone keeps talking about a rebuild........IHMO finishing dead last, drafting first, and waiting for star defensemen to fall out of the sky........does not constitute a rebuild.

Clever drafting, filling holes with smart trades, developing players, and grand vision for this team, would better define a rebuild.

Nothing Tamby and Lowe have done resembles a rebuild...........and for those apologists who preach patience, patience without action is STUPID.

I HAD to turn that game off near the end of the 2nd period last night. If the guys playing the game can mail it in, then I guess I can too.

So did I,couldn't watch this anymore,seen this a 1000 times,weak goal from Dubnyk,taking the steam out of the whole team,where have we seen that before.I am glad I sold all my seasons tickets this year.

Someone might want to change the banner at the top that says the game is on Thursday at 6:30pm. It's Friday and the start time according to the Oilers site is 6:00pm.
Not that it matters much though, it will probably be another stinker.